Willow driers for a bat of fibrous material



Feb. 12, 1963 H. FLEISSNER srm. 3,077,037

WILLOW DRIERS FOR A BAT 0F FIBROUS MATERIAL Filed Feb. 4, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet I1 IuvEA/Toig WILLOW DRIERS FOR A BAT 0F FIBROUS MATERIAL Filed Feb. 4, 1959 Feb. 12, 1963 H-. FLEISSNER ETAL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIGS INV5-T0Q$= I HEINZ FLEISS'NER GERaLD FLE/SSNER ATTORNEYS drum received only part of the bat.

s,e77,0s7 WlLlLtlW nninas son A. an or sinuous Pl IATEREAL Heinz Eleissner and Ger-old Fieissuer, Egelsbach, Germany, assignors to Fieissner Sohn GJnJLH 8: $0., Egelsbach, Germany, a firm Filed Feb. 4, 1959, Ser. No. 791,124 Claims priority, application Germany May 13, 3358 2 tllaims. ((31. 34-415) The present invention relates to willow or sieve drum driers for treating, especially drying loose fibrous material.

it is known in the prior art to dry loose fibrous material of a fiber bat by having the bat travel along the upper surfaces only of a series of perforated drums or sieves which are disposed in adjacent relation within a drier and which rotate in the same direction.

However, difiiculties have been encountered in transferring the bat from one drum to the other. The bat was only partially picked up from a prior drum or it rolled together between adjacent drums so that the following Consequently, the hat was conveyed unevenly and could not be dried uniformly.

It is an object of the present invention to provide means obviating the aforesaid disadvantages of the prior art and contributing to a highly economical and uniform treatment plant of the above type.

It is another object of the present invention to provide means ensuring continuous travel and processing of tirous material, whereby the latter will not stick or cling to the individual drums, will not roll up between said drums and will not fall off the drums.

it is another object of the present invention to provide means affording the creation of a difference in the degree of suction in the various drums and their peripheral portions.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide means conducive to a drum construction so that the but of fibrous material will be in uninterrupted contact with the upper surfaces only of the drums and on extended peripheral portions thereof.

t is a still further object of the present invention to provide means resulting in very efficacious willow driers of reduced power consumption.

These and other objects of the invention will ecome further apparent from the following detailed description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing showing preferred embodiments of the invention.

In the drawing which illustrates the best modes presently contemplated of carrying out the invention:

FIG. l is a more or less diagrammatic illustration. partly in section, of a willow drier pursuant to the present invention;

FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 are various embodiments of the invention similar to KG. 1, each illustrating a modified willow drying plant pursuant to the invention; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view indicating the adjustable mounting of the baffle rolier.

Referring now in greater detail to FIG. 1 of the draw ing, there is disclosed and shown a willow or sieve drum drier 2%} for fibrous sheet material, pursuant to the resent invention. The drier comprises an enclosure or housing 21 provided with four perforated or sieve drums l, 2, 3 and 4, all of which may rotate in the same direction. The fibrous material bat 5 is fed to the drums from a feed conveyor 11 and is delivered or discharged therefrom by a delivery conveyor 12. Each drum is provided with a stationary internal arcuate cover or shutter member 13 which confronts the lower portion of the respective drum so as to confine and concentrate suction action, as indicated by the arrows 14, to the upper peripheral portions of the drums. The means for effecting the suction of the interior of each drum advantageously includes a fan of a type such as indicated in Patent 2,950,549, issued August 3%, 1960.

In view of the concentration of suction across the upper peripheral surface portions of each drum, which rotates in the direction of the arrow 2-2, the fibrous bat 5 moves in the direction of the arrow 23 from conveyor 11 to conveyor 12 through said housing 21 along the upper surface portions of the drums 1 to 4, respectively. In order to facilitate a complete and loss-free pickup or takeover of the bat from one drum to another, provision is made to attain the lowest degree of suction within the inlet or first drum and to increase the suction in each succeeding drum so as to provide the maximum degree of suction at the delivery or last drum 4. For this purpose the fans producing the suction are run at successively increased speed or are successively of greater capacity.

Consequently, the bat is always completely removed from a preceding drum by the increased suction of the succeeding drum, the deflection of the bat being controlled only by the varaition of degree in suction between adjacent drurns. It is to be noted that shutter end 13.1 overlaps or extends further than adjacent shutter end 131') of the next succeeding cover 13 etc.

Referring now to H6. 2 in detail, there is shown a willow drier 26A which is similar in all details to the willow drier 2 similar parts being indicated by similar reference numerals. Pursuant to the present embodiment, the effectiveness of the transfer of the but 5 from one drum to another is increased by providing a curved baflie member between each pair of adiacent drums. As here shown baffie 6 is mounted between drums l and 2, bafie 7 is mounted between drums 2 and 3 and baths 8 is mounted between drums 3 and 4. Each baffle has a smooth surface confronting the adjacent drums and has a convex curvature confronting the drums so as to facilitate the unhindered passage of the but between the inside and the drums. As shown, each bar'fie comprises an arcuate segment and its opposite longitudinal edges Z4- 25 are raised sufficiently above the path of travel of the bat to permit unimpeded passage of the latter.

Referring now to FIG. 3 in detail, there is shown a willow drier 298 having three drums 1, 2 and 3, similar to the similarly identified drums in FIGS. 1 and 2, and a pair of smaller drums '9 and it which replace the baffles (i, 7 and 8. The arrangement is such that drum 9 is disposed between larger drums 1 and 2 and drum 10 is disposed between larger drums 2 and 3. Each smaller drum has a cover member 26 mounted opposite and below its upper peripheral surface portion so that the suction therein, as indicated by arrows 14A, is concentrated at and limited to its lower peripheral surface portion. Due to this arrangement, the hat 5 travels along the upper surface portions of the larger drums l, 2 and 3 and along the lower surface portions of the smaller perforated drums t? and it). It is preferable but not essential that the axes of all five drums be in the same plane, as shown. In order to prevent the bat from sliding oil the lower surfa es of the small drums, the suction thereof is considerably greater than the suction of the larger drums. The suction actions of the various drums can be individually or separately regulated and adjusted. The peripheral speed of the small drums should correspond to the peripheral speed of the large drums.

However, greater efficiency can be obtained by making the peripheral speed of the small drums slightly higher than that of the large drums. Since the large drums require only little suction the power construction of the drier is greatly reduced from that required for prior art driers.

Referring now to FIG. 4 in detail, there is shown a fragmentary view wherein the battle plates are replaced by perforated rollers, one roller 80 being shown between two drums 1 and 2. As shown, the roller 8a rests with its own weight on the moving hat 5 or it can be disposed at a slight distance therea-bove. This distance can be adjustable, the roller rotating in an opposite direction from the drums. The distance between the roller and eac 1 drum is preferably less than the thickness of the bat. It will be noted that the axis 8b of roller 8a is closer to drum 1 than to drum 2, as will be apparent by the division line 80 between the two drums. Consequently, the roller axis is not symmetrical to both drums.

The roller can be spring loaded by adjusting nut 40 against spring 42 so that its pressure against the shaft 44 of the bat is adjustable, said loading being obtained by any conventional means, such as, for example, springs 42. It may be preferable that the roller be driven and that its peripheral speed exceeds that of the drums. The roller can be hollow or solid and coated with any suitable material. It can be provided with a rough surface or it can have a perforated surface.

In order to further facilitate the travel of the hat 5, the cover plate or shutter 13A of the delivery roller 1 is provided with a longitudinal marginal edge 27 which is raised sufficiently to overlap the roller, as shown. This cuts off the suction of drum 1 at the point where the bat passes to roller 8a so that the latter can receive the hat. The cover plate 13A of drum 2, which drum receives the bat from the roller, has its longitudinal marginal edge 28 adjacent roller 8a disposed below the roller so that the suction of drum 2 aids the action of roller 8a in directing the bat from drum 1 to drum 2.

Various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and it is intended that such obvious changes and modifications be embraced by the annexed claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

l. A willow bat drier for a bat of fibrous material comprising a housing, a plurality of sieve drums over which the bat of fibrous material is adapted to travel, said sieve drums being rotatably mounted in said housing with their axes of rotation disposed substantially in ahorizontal plane with the sides of the drums being arranged closely adjacent, a suction bafflein each of said drums for closing the perforations thereof over substantially the bottom half portion of the drums, said baffles being located to close the perforations of each drum on its transfer side adjacent the receiving side of the next adjacent drum, said bailies on the transfer side of the drums terminating at a level higher than at the adjacent receiving side of the next adjacent drum, means for driving said drums at substantially uniform peripheral velocity, and means for providing air fiow suction through each of said drums for elfecting an increased suction in eachsucceeding drum in the direction of travel of the bat of material, whereby the material is transferred directly from one drum to the next by the prevention of suction at the periphery of he transferring drum at thelocation of the transfer and by the effecting of an increased suction at the receiving side of the next adjacent drum.

2. A willow bat drier according to claim 1, including a curved imperforate baffle disposed above the adjacent drums at the location of transfer of the material.

References Cited in'the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,835,047 Fleissner et a1. May 20, =l958 2,950,540 Fleissner Aug. 30, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 691,920 France July 22, 1930 

1. A WILLOW BAT DRIER FOR A BAT OF FIBROUS MATERIAL COMPRISING A HOUSING, A PLURALITY OF SIEVE DRUMS OVER WHICH THE BAT OF FIBROUS MATERIAL IS ADAPTED TO TRAVEL, SAID SIEVE DRUMS BEING ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING WITH THEIR AXES OF ROTATION DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE WITH THE SIDES OF THE DRUMS BEING ARRANGED CLOSELY ADJACENT, A SUCTION BAFFLE IN EACH OF SAID DRUMS FOR CLOSING THE PERFORATIONS THEREOF OVER SUBSTANTIALLY THE BOTTOM HALF PORTION OF THE DRUMS, SAID BAFFLES BEING LOCATED TO CLOSE THE PERFORATIONS OF EACH DRUM ON ITS TRANSFER SIDE ADJACENT THE RECEIVING SIDE OF THE NEXT ADJACENT DRUM, SAID BAFFLES ON THE TRANSFER SIDE OF THE DRUMS TERMINATING AT A LEVEL HIGHER THAN AT THE ADJACENT RECEIVING SIDE OF THE NEXT ADJACENT DRUM, MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID DRUMS AT SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM PERIPHERAL VELOCITY, AND MEANS FOR PROVIDING AIR FLOW SUCTION THROUGH EACH OF SAID DRUMS FOR EFFECTING AN INCREASED SUCTION IN EACH SUCCEEDING DRUM IN THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL OF THE BAT OF MATERIAL, WHEREBY THE MATERIAL IS TRANSFERRED DIRECTLY FROM ONE DRUM TO THE NEXT BY THE PREVENTION OF SUCTION AT THE PERIPHERY OF HE TRANSFERRING DRUM AT THE LOCATION OF THE TRANSFER AND BY THE EFFECTING OF AN INCREASED SUCTION AT THE RECEIVING SIDE OF THE NEXT ADJACENT DRUM. 